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Microsoft Store error 0x80070422 usually means the Windows Update service is disabled or stopped. Turn that service on in services.msc, start it, restart the PC, and try the Store again. This is the primary Microsoft-documented repair for the message that the service cannot be started because it is disabled.
If the Store still will not open or downloads remain stuck, work through the Store update, repair/reset, reinstall, and Windows Store Apps troubleshooter steps below. When the service is running but downloads still fail, a firewall, proxy, or device-management policy may be blocking the Windows Update endpoints that Store installations and updates require.
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What Store error 0x80070422 means
The code is sometimes typed as “8×80070422,” but the Windows error format is 0x80070422. Microsoft documents it as a Windows Update service that is disabled or stopped. Microsoft Learn maps the condition to ERROR_SERVICE_DISABLED and directs users to check whether Windows Update is running.
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| What you see | Most useful first check |
|---|---|
| The Store says the service cannot be started because it is disabled | Check Windows Update in services.msc; set Startup type to Automatic and start it. |
| The Store opens, but an app will not download or update | Confirm Windows Update is running, then check Store updates and endpoint access. |
| The Store will not open at all | Sign in, close and reopen it, install pending Windows updates, then repair or reset the Store app. |
| The service is running, but every download fails | Investigate firewall, proxy, or organization policy blocking Windows Update endpoints. |
The number itself is a service-state error. It does not, by itself, establish that the computer has malware or that the Store application files are permanently damaged.
Primary fix: enable and start Windows Update
Use an account allowed to change Windows services. The labels are the same on supported Windows desktop editions, although an organization can restrict them with policy.
- Open the Services console. Press Win + R, type
services.msc, and press Enter. Approve the User Account Control prompt if Windows displays one. - Locate Windows Update. In the alphabetical list, find Windows Update. Do not select a similarly named Store app or a third-party updater.
- Open its properties. Right-click Windows Update and choose Properties.
- Change the startup behavior. Set Startup type to Automatic. This allows Windows to start the service rather than leaving it disabled.
- Start the service now. If Service status says Stopped, click Start. Wait for the status to change to running.
- Save the change. Click Apply, then OK to close the properties window.
- Restart Windows. A restart ensures the service setting and dependent Store processes are reloaded cleanly.
- Try the Store again. Open Microsoft Store and repeat the installation or update that produced
0x80070422.
If the Store works after the restart, the disabled or stopped Windows Update service was the cause. Leave the service set to Automatic; repeatedly disabling it can bring the error back when Store apps need to install or update.
If Windows Update will not start
The Startup type is Disabled
Return to Windows Update > Properties, select Automatic, and click Apply. If Windows refuses the change, the setting may be controlled by an administrator or policy. On a work or school computer, ask the organization’s administrator to enable the service rather than attempting to bypass the policy.
The Start button is unavailable
A greyed-out control, an access-denied message, or an immediate return to Stopped indicates that the current account or a policy does not permit the change. Record the exact message, then contact the person who manages the PC. Do not delete service entries or change unrelated registry values to force a start; those actions can create a separate Windows servicing problem.
The service starts but the Store still reports the code
Close Microsoft Store completely, restart Windows, and check the service again. If it remains running after the restart, move to the Store recovery sequence below. The Store may have cached the earlier failure, or the network path it uses for Windows Update may still be blocked.
Microsoft’s Store recovery sequence
Use these steps after confirming Windows Update is enabled and running. Stop when the Store works; later steps can remove local app state or require another installation.
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1. Sign in to Microsoft Store
Open Microsoft Store and confirm that you are signed in with the account used for the app. If the Store prompts for credentials, complete the sign-in, then retry the download. A Store session that is not fully signed in can prevent an otherwise healthy service from completing an installation.
2. Close and reopen the app
Close every Microsoft Store window. Wait a few seconds, open it again from the Start menu, and repeat the operation. This reloads the Store process after Windows Update has been started and avoids troubleshooting a stale session.
3. Make sure Windows is up to date
Open Settings, go to Windows Update, and choose Check for updates (the wording can vary slightly by Windows release). Install available updates and restart when Windows requests it. Then open the Store again. The Store checklist specifically places Windows updates before deeper app repair.
4. Update Microsoft Store from Library
In Microsoft Store, select Library, then choose Get updates. Allow the Store to update itself and any installed apps. If the update begins, let it finish before starting another download; interrupting the Store’s own update can leave the interface showing an old failure.
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5. Repair the affected app
For a particular app that fails while other Store functions work, use Windows’ app repair control. On current Windows 11 and Windows 10 builds, open Settings > Apps > Installed apps (or Apps & features on some Windows 10 builds), select the affected app, open Advanced options, and choose Repair when available. Repair attempts to correct the app without removing its local data. Reopen the Store and test the app.
6. Reset the affected app
If repair does not help, return to the same Advanced options page and select Reset. Reset can remove the app’s local data and sign-in state, so use it only after trying Repair. Start the app again, sign in if requested, and retry its Store update or installation.
7. Reinstall the app
When repair and reset fail, uninstall the affected Store app and install it again from Microsoft Store. Save or synchronize any local work first, because uninstalling can remove data stored only on the PC. If the Store cannot download any app, reinstalling one application will not address the underlying service or endpoint problem; continue with the network checks instead.
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8. Run Windows Store Apps troubleshooter
Run the built-in Windows Store Apps troubleshooter from Windows Settings. Follow its prompts, apply any recommended change, restart if requested, and test the Store. The troubleshooter is most useful after Windows Update is available, because it cannot compensate for a service that remains disabled.
When the service runs but downloads still fail
Microsoft Learn notes that Store installations and updates need Windows Update endpoints to be reachable. A running service therefore does not prove that the network path is available. If the Store opens but downloads fail, check the environment rather than repeatedly toggling the service.
Personal PC
- Review whether a firewall is blocking Windows Update traffic. Use the firewall’s allowed-app or event controls rather than turning protection off permanently.
- Check the Windows or network proxy configuration. An obsolete proxy can leave browsing functional while update endpoints remain unreachable.
- Retry after correcting the setting and restarting Microsoft Store. If the error changes from a disabled-service message to a download or connection message, the service repair succeeded and the remaining fault is network access.
Work or school PC
Managed devices can receive firewall, proxy, or update policies from an organization. If Windows Update is running but Store endpoints are blocked, only the administrator can change the policy. Provide the administrator with the exact code, the service status, and whether ordinary web access works; do not remove management software or override policy settings.
How to distinguish a service fault from an endpoint fault
| Check | Result | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Update in Services | Startup type is Disabled or status is Stopped | Set Automatic, click Start, apply, restart, and retest. |
| Windows Update in Services | Startup type is Automatic and status remains Running | Use Store update, repair/reset, reinstall, and troubleshooter steps. |
| Store download | Store opens but cannot retrieve an app | Check firewall, proxy, and policy access to Windows Update endpoints. |
| Store launch | Store itself will not open | Close/reopen, install Windows updates, then repair or reset the Store app. |
Windows 10 support date matters
Microsoft states that after October 14, 2025, it no longer provides free software updates from Windows Update, technical assistance, or security fixes for Windows 10. Windows 10 PCs continue to run after that date, but an unsupported installation may not receive current fixes. This does not change the service repair: a Windows 10 system can still have a disabled Windows Update service and can still show 0x80070422. It does mean that a missing update on Windows 10 may reflect the platform’s support status rather than a Store defect.
On Windows 11, continue installing available updates after enabling the service. On Windows 10, identify the exact edition and support arrangement before assuming that every current update should be available.
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- Changing the wrong service: The documented repair concerns Windows Update. Changing unrelated services will not correct this Store dependency.
- Setting Automatic but not starting the service: A startup setting applies to future starts; if the current status is Stopped, click Start as well.
- Skipping the restart: Store and update processes can retain the earlier failure until Windows is restarted.
- Resetting the Store first: Repair or reset cannot make a disabled Windows Update service available. Correct the service before removing app data.
- Repeating Store downloads on a managed network: If the service is already running, repeated retries do not unblock a firewall, proxy, or policy. Escalate the endpoint-access issue to the network administrator.
- Assuming every failure is the same: “Store will not open” and “Store downloads fail” require different branches. Use the symptom and service state together when choosing the next step.
Final verification checklist
Before considering the problem fixed, verify each applicable item:
- Windows Update shows Startup type: Automatic.
- The service status is Running after a restart.
- Microsoft Store opens under the intended signed-in account.
- Library > Get updates completes without the same code.
- The previously failing app installs or updates.
- If downloads still fail, firewall, proxy, and organization-policy controls have been checked for blocked Windows Update endpoints.
The shortest reliable path is therefore: enable and start Windows Update, restart, test Microsoft Store, then use Store repair tools and endpoint checks only if the service fix does not resolve the symptom.
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